Posted - 09 Dec 2017 : 10:56:23 Hi, actually yes...its registration number was EKN10K...I did the tax lookup and it was taxed I think till 94....As you head from Rye to Camber there is a field on the left where they have the rye classic motorcycle swap meet...at the entrance is a large shed and buildings which are Elk Engineering who restore girder forks...the car used to be there outside the shed and was for sale but that was some years ago...It had some bad rust in the floor and sills at that point due no doubt to being so close to the sea. The crazy thing is that at that time I had a G reg that I bought from Paddock Wood scrapyard...it was the worst I had ever seen as was used as a doner car for another H reg...On checking Tax the G reg was still on the road 5 years ago which to me is a miracle!!!It must have had some really serious dollars spent on it

quote:Originally posted by bigt80

Well done Paul - an H120 in the antipodes - rare!I am sure you are very much looking forward to its arrival.You don't have any details of the one you saw down in Kent all those years ago do you? Would just be handy for club archives of all cars that we have known to exist. Cheers. G.

Paul OSullivan

Fastback Paul

Posted - 09 Dec 2017 : 10:36:17 Hi Michael...I am the new owner of CRO800L and am hoping to do a bit of tidying up of the car once it arrives here in Australia. I was just wondering what paint you used? 2pac or celli or something in between and was also wondering if you have a paint code for the pearl white...info like that would be invaluable to me when ordering paint here in Oz...I dont intend to really change the looks, just personalise the car ie: Holbay stripe and rostyles again...im sure the climate here will be a lot kinder to the old girl...thanks in advance

To put the finishing touches to the H120 I am now waiting the last few parts from Glen Mason the club’s Fastback, our man Glen managed to find me 2 x stainless sill finishers, the H120 badge inserts plus a petrol filler with decent chrome.

The only thing that letting the appearance of the car down arethe bumpers, which have dull chrome and are and in some places a but pitted, I could have them re-chromed but first I’m keen to find out if anyone in the club might have a set of bumpers with decent chrome they want to sell? Also, for a place holder I’ve fitted a 15” Mountney steering wheel but ideally I’d like to find an original Rapier wheel – any ideas….? The car had a really horrid shttering wheel H120

For Fastback aficionados who’d prefer to keep paint colour original...here’s where we might fall out . I've attached a few photos of CRU 800L, and when you see them you will note I've not had the courage to refinish the car in Wardance Red, I just could not bring myself to go the whole hog with the 70's look. Instead I used an older Rootes colour from the late 60's called Pearl White, I believe this cream/off white suites the car and goes well with the interior, it should (my opinion) widen the cars appeal when I sell it on. I am going to stry a single black pinstripe down each side to see how it looks as I think there is too much going on with the original black thick/thin double stripe effect.

Finally, any of your guys heading to the Goodwood Revival this year, if yes then please come and say hello, I will be with my Series 3 Rapier in the St Mary's Trophy paddock much of the time. This year I'm sharing the two part St Mary’s race with Barry Whizzo Williams. I will also have another Rootes mobile on display, my Humber Super Snipe Estate support vehicle (see photo). I also plan to have the H120 parked in the Tax Free car park each day of the Revival Meeting

Posted - 18 Nov 2017 : 12:06:43 Well done Paul - an H120 in the antipodes - rare!I am sure you are very much looking forward to its arrival.You don't have any details of the one you saw down in Kent all those years ago do you? Would just be handy for club archives of all cars that we have known to exist. Cheers. G.

Fastback Paul

Posted - 16 Nov 2017 : 13:06:20 Hi Michael....I have just purchased thsi car and have been a long standing rapier fan since my youth growing up in the Uk in the 70s. I now live in Australia where these cars are very rare as they were never officially imported here....just wanted to say that you did a grand job on getting it back to top form and I am very much looking forward to it arriving here and taking it for a cruise. Lucky for me and rapiers alike...it rains rarely here so rust will never again be an issue. I have always wanted a white one after seeing a white fastback laid up in a farm near Rye. It was an amazing car...inside was a book which contained a record of every time the car was taken out or had something done to it...included was 20 odd years of receipts. The rust had taken hold due to its proximity to Camber Sands but it was still there when I left for Australia in 2000...I will try to find some photos

quote:Originally posted by michaelpeet

Hi Guys.

Ok, time for a forum update on my efforts to save H120, reg CRU 800L. You might remember this was the Wardance red Rapier with a cream interior that had appeared at auction in 2012 and made a couple of guest appearances on Ebay during 2013, initially at a ridiculous price, and eventually at a reasonable price low enough to allow me to take the plunge and try to save it.

As some of you predicted….the car had its fair share of rust, mainly confinded to of the floor pan, sills, boot floor, the lower rear wings - inside and out – were very bad, interestingly the rear shock turret tops and both front wings were not that bad. The car was last taxed in 1990 and I believe since then it became victim to a long lay up in damp conditions. Upon closer inspection things were not as bad as the Ebay photos depicted, mainly surface rust making the car looked worse than it was as I discovred when I took it down to bare metal using paint stripping and DA.

My plan was to save and reuse as many of the cars original parts as possible, I'm pleased to report I've manged to refurbish almost everything including the full interior except the carpet which had to be replaced. The original Holbay cylinder head was too corroded around the waterways to be saved, luckily I managed to buy a decent head from a Hunter GLS via Ebay for a reasonable price. With this replacment head now fitted (and after reseating valves etc.) the engine runs very nicely and quietly, it and pulls well and there is no smoke or heavy breathing.

Posted - 08 Oct 2014 : 22:04:19 Nice restoI would have prefered to see it with the wide black stripes & Rostyles.Although it looks good in white i do prefer the original colour of Wardance.Strong money at £10,000 but if someone is in the market for a well sorted H120 then this could be the one

Coupes are cool

JPSH120

Posted - 08 Oct 2014 : 20:46:32 Now for sale on Car And Classic website for a smidgen over £10k.

Ok, time for a forum update on my efforts to save H120, reg CRU 800L. You might remember this was the Wardance red Rapier with a cream interior that had appeared at auction in 2012 and made a couple of guest appearances on Ebay during 2013, initially at a ridiculous price, and eventually at a reasonable price low enough to allow me to take the plunge and try to save it.

As some of you predicted….the car had its fair share of rust, mainly confinded to of the floor pan, sills, boot floor, the lower rear wings - inside and out – were very bad, interestingly the rear shock turret tops and both front wings were not that bad. The car was last taxed in 1990 and I believe since then it became victim to a long lay up in damp conditions. Upon closer inspection things were not as bad as the Ebay photos depicted, mainly surface rust making the car looked worse than it was as I discovred when I took it down to bare metal using paint stripping and DA.

My plan was to save and reuse as many of the cars original parts as possible, I'm pleased to report I've manged to refurbish almost everything including the full interior except the carpet which had to be replaced. The original Holbay cylinder head was too corroded around the waterways to be saved, luckily I managed to buy a decent head from a Hunter GLS via Ebay for a reasonable price. With this replacment head now fitted (and after reseating valves etc.) the engine runs very nicely and quietly, it and pulls well and there is no smoke or heavy breathing.

To put the finishing touches to the H120 I am now waiting the last few parts from Glen Mason the club’s Fastback, our man Glen managed to find me 2 x stainless sill finishers, the H120 badge inserts plus a petrol filler with decent chrome.

The only thing that letting the appearance of the car down arethe bumpers, which have dull chrome and are and in some places a but pitted, I could have them re-chromed but first I’m keen to find out if anyone in the club might have a set of bumpers with decent chrome they want to sell? Also, for a place holder I’ve fitted a 15” Mountney steering wheel but ideally I’d like to find an original Rapier wheel – any ideas….? The car had a really horrid shttering wheel H120

For Fastback aficionados who’d prefer to keep paint colour original...here’s where we might fall out . I've attached a few photos of CRU 800L, and when you see them you will note I've not had the courage to refinish the car in Wardance Red, I just could not bring myself to go the whole hog with the 70's look. Instead I used an older Rootes colour from the late 60's called Pearl White, I believe this cream/off white suites the car and goes well with the interior, it should (my opinion) widen the cars appeal when I sell it on. I am going to stry a single black pinstripe down each side to see how it looks as I think there is too much going on with the original black thick/thin double stripe effect.

Finally, any of your guys heading to the Goodwood Revival this year, if yes then please come and say hello, I will be with my Series 3 Rapier in the St Mary's Trophy paddock much of the time. This year I'm sharing the two part St Mary’s race with Barry Whizzo Williams. I will also have another Rootes mobile on display, my Humber Super Snipe Estate support vehicle (see photo). I also plan to have the H120 parked in the Tax Free car park each day of the Revival Meeting

Posted - 11 Feb 2014 : 10:29:34 Hello Michaelpeet.Yes, welcome to the forum and well done for owning up to being the new owner of CRO & of course for looking to save the old girl. As JPSH says they are getting rarer as people find cost outweighs any financial incentive for restoring them, but one day they might be worth something closer to what they should be, even if that's not in the Lotus Cortina league. Anyway, yes it is good to have another potentially saved: let's hope it isn't really bad when you get into it.Yes, good place to be for help, advice and moral support! Whilst I'm a bit biased, but probably worth joining club for cheaper spares when you get into it. I'm not spares person anymore, but I will try to help put some bits together on a best efforts basis.BTW - we had it recorded as CRU 800L, but must have been wrong: will update to show CRO. Cheers. G.

arrocuda

Posted - 09 Feb 2014 : 08:51:57 Yep.... I thought it was game over for this one too. Probably was a touch more than it was worth, but a couple of hundred quid is neither here nor there if you like the car. Welcome to the forum.

Building the 'Mark II' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda').

JPSH120

Posted - 08 Feb 2014 : 16:28:55 Yes I echo what Chris has said, it would be great to see another H120 back on the road, they are rare beasts. It might be a fairly long and, at times frustrating journey but you're in the right place to get the parts, advice and moral support necessary.

Posted - 08 Feb 2014 : 12:46:40 Good to see its gone to a genuine enthusiast. Personally I would love to see it restored back to its former road-going glory (but like you say, that may not be viable) Wardance red with a cream interior and a black stripe is probably the best colour combination is my eyes. Make sure you post some pictures of the restoration on the forum.

Sad isn't it, I'v had Karmann Ghia for a month now and I still post on this site more than the VW sites.

Chris.

michaelpeet

Posted - 08 Feb 2014 : 00:39:40 Hi SROC folks. My first posting on the forum so a big hello to you all.

While reviewing forum postings I stumbled on this thread re.the pros and cons (mainly cons I see) of buying the Red H120 seen on ebay recently. OK, I confess...I'm the bloke who's ended up with this sorry looking Sunbeam - CRO 800L. I wasn't looking to buy a fastback but I've always admired the sporty lines while thinking this car a bit "modern" for my own collection. I'm a fan of the Rootes 50's & 60's cars and race a couple of them, see list below.

I found the H120 when following an auction for a 1959 Ford/Ashley Special being sold by the same seller, Alan Sparrow Commercials, Hereford. I was the only bidder on the Ashley and won that, job done. Then...."hold on whats that I see, a Rootes mobile in trouble"...you can guess what comes next. I thought to myself, OK, it appears a genuine H120, engine, gearbox, bootlid and badges are all there... I recon this Rapier could do with a lifeline. I decided I would place just one bid, thinking if I can get it at 1,475 its not such a crazy price. I knew i would going to Herford to get the Ashley and if I went in my race transporter truck, well that can carry two cars....OK so place my bid and head off to work. A few hours emails from ebay tell me I own the Rapier...hmmm hope I've done the right thing here....!

Accepting I've probably paid around 250 over the top I'm hoping it won't be a disaster, I've subsequently been assured by the seller that the cars is not as rotten as I might expect.

I guess being a Rootes kind of guy I've done my bit and saved this sad H120 from an uncertain fate. After I get the Ashly restored I will restore the H120 for road use. If I discover too much interior trim missing, or too far gone to be salvaged, I might instead strip it down and convert into a 70's racer to run with the CSCC Tin Tops brigade.

So guys, that's my H120 story, should I go the road restoration route with CRO 800L I'm likely to need the help of you fastback Guru's to help me locate some of those rarer parts, like the n/s sill trim that appears to be missing.

[quote]Originally posted by Jon

I think its a bargain at that money and would make a really nice car once its done ive seen alot worse. It cant be that bad as it still has steel wings and there usually first thing to go. Looks a bit on the one corner but if i were looking for one i would be all over this